FleshCraft - 85%

Probably one of the longest running death metal bands out of Denmark, Corpus Mortale‘s releases have been rather sporadic since their formation in 1993, with FleshCraft merely being their fourth full length release after a six year wait since their last release. With such a long gap between releases, FleshCraft had better contain some superb material for fans of the band to wait this long.

It doesn’t take long for the band to prove their experience in dishing out crushing death metal, as album opener Weakest of the Weak immediately hitting the listener like a freight train with the starting riffs of Carlos and Brian bringing things to a climax before letting all hell break loose, all the while accompanied by the relentless battery of drummer Rasmus. The style of death metal that is unleashed by Corpus Mortale on FleshCraft immediately reminds one of their fellow compatriots The Cleansing, only that the band has made their craft much heavier, and much more brutal than the aforementioned. Furthermore, the incisive, precise chugging riffs and that low-string pinch harmonics that are abundant on the album also bring in some slight Polish death metal resemblance, rather similar to Behemoth‘s later death metal material, combined with the fury and aggression of bands like Hate Eternal.

What is particularly captivating on the album is the sheer intent displayed by the band to produce some of the most crushing music, and this is most evident through the drumming of Rasmus, the personal highlight of the album. The constant blasting style of Rasmus is sure to please any fan of extreme metal with a thing for aggressive drumming, as he ensures that even the slower moments on the record are absolutely face-ripping with the brilliant fills. Guitarists Carlos and Brian also display their flair on their instruments, with the often complex riffs in addition to the brutality, not unlike those that bands like Decapitated have done on classics like Nihility at times. Furthermore, the chemistry between the band members can be heard on the tightness between the drums and the guitars such as on the intro of Love Lies Bleeding, making FleshCraft all the more enjoyable.

And all the aggression and intensity is further brought out with the production quality on the album, allowing for each of the instruments to really ring out loud and clear, especially the guitars and the drums, the main instruments driving the album forward. The bass is also used cleverly on songs like Love Lies Bleeding to build up the tension in the atmosphere.

Certainly, it has been a long wait for fans of the band since their last release. But with the quality of music on FleshCraft, the band has proven that the wait was well worth it.